As is well known and understood, several methods are employed in identifying the remains of those killed in accidents, disasters, and/or natural and man-made cataclysmic holocausts. If photographs are not helpful, resort is often made to the use of fingerprints as a means of identification--but the problem with that is that those whose fingerprints are on file represent only an infinitesimal number of persons, and the fingerprinting of school-age children is just beginning, although continuing to be met with resistance. Dental records are employed, but only after some idea exists as to the identity of the person sought to be substantiated, and, really, of limited usefulness. While the use of "dog-tags" in the military continues to be a common practice, instances often arise where the "dog-tags" are destroyed, missing, or otherwise not available for purposes of identification.
And, no matter what the above restrictions offer as regards the identification of humans, the identification of animals is a far greater problem. Besides the issuance of license tags--except for photographs of the animals in question, or the availability of other visual indicia--the only technique usually available involves a process of "branding", limited to race-horses and cattle, in general.